To Be a Man: Stories

This collection of short stories by Nicole Krauss explores relationships between men and women, examining what it means to be a man or woman within couples and beyond. The stories are set in contemporary times across multiple locations including Switzerland, Japan, New York City, Tel Aviv, Los Angeles, and South America. The male characters appear in various roles: fathers, lovers, friends, children, seducers, and a lost husband who may never have been a husband at all. The stories mirror and resonate with one another in ways that create a unified effect, almost like a novel. They touch on themes across life stages: aging parents and newborns, young women's coming of age and their emerging sexual power, generational differences, and unexpected life changes. The collection examines human forces including sex, power, violence, passion, self-discovery, and aging, revealing both human weakness and strength through moments that are startling, moving, and profound.